"I can be alone with you here"

[ever_neutral]

So I've been re-watching season 6 lately. (And before people scream 'Insane!!', I have in fact been re-watching BtVS the series in general.) I think I've seen it about 3 times now, and it's gotten to the point where I can watch it all and not be pissed off by any of the characters! Yay! I even have sympathy for Warren. *ducks knives*

Comments

[ever_neutral]

Yay! Glad to have maybe possibly changed your mind ;)

[penny_lane_42]

LOVE. IT. We're so on the same page about this. Of course. Are we surprised? Not at all

[ever_neutral]

It's funny how the original 'losers' became inclusive like that, huh? It does make sense considering the number of apocalypses they've been through though.

I definitely follow your train of thought. It's always the 'outsiders' that catch my attention.

[ever_neutral]

OMG I HATE THE SMUSHY NAME TOO! We so are Spuffy soulmates, that proves it *nod*

I think Buffy became 'my girl' in S5, but S6 just takes it to another level.

Re: Xander and Willow. It's funny, I never cared much about Willow until they took her to the ugly place they did this season. And their scene in Grave always gets me flaily. But I agree with you in that I am much more invested in Spike and Buffy as individuals over the Scoobies generally. This is pretty much the reason I'm more invested in the later seasons.

I've watched that scene a dozen times because I love it so.

IKR! I have no shame in admitting the same ;)

[gabrielleabelle]

This is probably a radical opinion in fandom, but I don't believe at any point that either Spike or Buffy deliberately set out to cause the other pain.

Actually, I'd agree with that.

I know Buffy gets flak for her casual Spike-punching in S5, but I think there's an important Slayer-Vampire dynamic going on. Buffy's asserting her authority. Even though Spike's chipped, she knows he can do damage (as he did at the end of S4). So she'll toss a punch to the nose from time to time to...um...assert dominance. Like a dog. (Well, the chip is rather Pavlovian).

And then in S6...Spike was trying to help Buffy in the only way he knew how (and it was BAD for her but he didn't know it). Buffy, for her part, was largely reacting and lashing out. I don't think she was cruelly trying to cause him pain. I don't think she was thinking of him much at all (until the very end of Dead Things). Buffy was being incredibly self-centered and couldn't see how her actions were affecting Spike. She was too busy trying to keep everything else afloat

[penny_lane_42]

I love it when you say things so that I can be lazy and don't have to say them myself.

[gabrielleabelle]

*looks up*

But you did say stuff that I would have said (so I had to say other stuff). :)

[penny_lane_42]

Well, between the two of us, we covered all the bases, then. And my comment didn't have to be twice as long as it was! I think it worked out pretty well for all involved.

[angearia]

Word. Love this post and the comments therein. :D

[ever_neutral]

Thanks for stopping by!

[lavastar]

Oooh, this is SO interesting. I love your analysis of how everyone is so broken and fucked up and loses their sense of identity - I mean, it's totally obvs that the characters in S6 are fucked up, but I hadn't quite thought of it in such a connecty way - more like "everyone's screwed up, how cool".

And the analysis of Spuffy was win. So so true and interesting.

Thanks for writing! (Linked here by gabrielleabelle, btw).

[ever_neutral]

"everyone's screwed up, how cool"

Hah. That works too =)

Thank *you* for reading!